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RCs Alcohol alternatives (RCs, Benzos, etc.)

ChemicallyEnchancedApe

Greenlighter
Joined
Jan 26, 2025
Messages
5
I am wondering if anybody knows of any substances that will give a buzzed/drunk feeling similar to what our old "friend" ethanol does? Other compounds that may be used in a similar setting but not exactly mimic the effects are interesting too.

Small backstory: I have had intense acute pancreatitis attacks from years of heavy alcohol abuse. The funny thing is that I actually stopped abusing alcohol and drugs on my own before I knew I had pancreatitis, but by that point it was too late and the damage was done. I REALLY shouldn't drink anymore, and so I don't. I appreciate life and consider myself lucky, but I struggle with CPTSD and anxiety. While that's nothing new, I really need something to relax with in the weekends :)

I know there is no miracle drug, you gotta pay the piper in some way. However, I would prefer to pay less in regards to toxicity.

What I have tried:

GHB - It's interesting for sure, however I don't like the overstimulation and steep dosage curve that come with it.

2M2B - Sure does the trick, but the taste and smell is so terrible I can't imagine using it as a replacement. Smells bad? No, it STINKS and tastes like gasoline/nail polish remover and it's lingering. It lasts very long too, which is a pluss and a negative. One time I dosed a little too high and passed out, much more sedative than ethanol but pretty similar. Still ugh, the taste...

Benzodiazepines - I find benzos really nice, not a big surprise due to my anxiety. I have tried xanax, valium and some other generic benzos and I love them. However, I only find them euphoric for the first 30 minutes of intoxication and then the typical anxiety relief for the rest of the duration. I have heard that other benzo RCs etc. produce more euphoria, very intriguing as I find the generic ones I've tried so far to be great for relaxing but not as inhibiting.

Pregabalin and Gabapentin - I never really had any great luck with either of these substances, I tried Lyrica and Neurontin multiple times in different dosages with 600mg's of Lyrica (pregabalin) being the largest dose. My vision seemed strange and uncomfortable but it didn't really give me a great buzz, though I do want to further experiment with these substances as many people swear by them.

Morphine, Tramadol, Oxy and Codeine - My opioid experiences have all been a little bit strange so far. Tramadol put me in a better mood, but feels strange and a little too speedy. I find Codeine to be good, but kinda scary due to my lack of experience with opioids. Oxys make me feel weak and a bit shaky and sweaty. As soon as I feel shallow breathing or anything similar I get anxiety even though I dose carefully. I know the dosage is the poison, but I've seen things so it's psychological. I did really enjoy morphine IV in the hospital though lol.

Ketamine - Strange one, was usually already under the influence of alcohol while consuming it and don't have a lot of experience. Can't really say it feels similar to alcohol in low dosages as some people report, certainly felt "out of it" but does not remove anxiety enough for me to feel good when consuming it sober.

Cannabis - I used to smoke a lot of weed and enjoyed it, but in the recent years it has just given me anxiety. I have tried multiple different dosages, CBD:THC ratios etc. but my mind just does not agree with THC at all anymore.

Kava - Nothing much to say here, tried a lot of it but I can't really compare it to alcohol. It either gave me a very slight effect that I couldn't quite put my finger on, or made me feel uneasy at higher dosages. It's cool for what it is, but does not seem to be what I'm looking for.

Others - used to love Ampthetamines and Cocaine, but not relevant. Psychedelics are not relevant either, MDMA has been great but that's the past. Herbals such as Magnolia, Chamomile, Lavender, Lemon balm, Ashwagandha and others have not worked as a replacement, I didn't expect them to either.

I have ordered Hard Ketones or "Ketohol", it's active ingredient is R-1,3 butanediol which the livers converts to ketones instead of acetaldehyde. I don't expect much from it, but it will be interesting. I also want to try kratom, but as I can easily get other opioids from my doctor I don't really see a reason to.

Keep in mind I have respect for all things mentioned, they are great if used correctly and responsibly for their own niches.

I have heard good things about Z-drugs, baclofen, Phenibut, Soma, Muscimol and the likes. What are your experiences? It does not need to completely floor me, any advice is appreciated. The most important thing for me is that it obliterates anxiety and makes me feel wavy and chill, price or dependence is not too important to me :)

I will do my own research on any substance that I would consider ingesting, and I do not condone anyone to try anything I have mentioned in this post. This is my first time posting, if I am doing something wrong please let me know.
 
I would love to try 222 trichloroethanol. It's unregulated and the (only?) active metabolite of chloral hydrate.
1,3 butanedoil isn't what you want. You want 1-4, that shits just riding the coat-tails of what 1-4 was. It's not a gaba agonist or PAM afaik.
Edit: a wiki read says it's comparable with ethanol in potency, which I guess could be what you want, but 1,4 is many times stronger. I also cannot imagine it's actually much if any better for you than booze. Trust me, no solvent is safe to consume, especially ones with no human testing. Been there. You should look for an alternative that isn't a liquid. 222tce is too, and horribly toxic, but less so than ethanol in equivalent doses. Which is a low bar, but at least there's history of human use.
 
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I just want to warn you that benzodiazepines of any kind should be used with extreme caution, if at all. Benzos are a slippery slope to play on. Very easy to lose control on those things.

In the past I've tried to quit or cut back on my alcohol consumption by substituting benzos. It never worked for me. I always ended up taking more than I'd intended and in my case found myself addicted to both the pills  and the booze-- a very dangerous combo and hellish to withdraw from.

Tread lightly.
 
I would love to try 222 trichloroethanol. It's unregulated and the (only?) active metabolite of chloral hydrate.
1,3 butanedoil isn't what you want. You want 1-4, that shits just riding the coat-tails of what 1-4 was. It's not a gaba agonist or PAM afaik.
That's interesting, going to look into that! And yes, I've heard of 1,4 BDO but from what I understand it's not that much less toxic than ethanol? Also, would you compare the effects to ethanol or GHB?
 
I just want to warn you that benzodiazepines of any kind should be used with extreme caution, if at all. Benzos are a slippery slope to play on. Very easy to lose control on those things.

In the past I've tried to quit or cut back on my alcohol consumption by substituting benzos. It never worked for me. I always ended up taking more than I'd intended and in my case found myself addicted to both the pills  and the booze-- a very dangerous combo and hellish to withdraw from.

Tread lightly.
I appreciate the warning, I was in the same boat. Was taking xanax and other drugs here and there, but was eating 90mg's of prescribed valium a month with 1.5L of vodka per day at the end. No wonder I got pancreatitis... I managed to pull my life back together, but a little too late for the damage to be mild.
 
Oh, and gabapentin is shitty in the same way alcohol is, I don't like either, but it might be perfect for you. Amanitas were very week ime, isolate may be good, I've never had it. Lyrica is great though.
I thought gabapentin was pretty much the same as pregabalin, difference being pregabalin being more effective at the same receptors. Would you say there's a big difference in effect of the two?
 
Gabapentin just feels like shit and pregabalin feels euphoric as hell. There's an abundance of gabapentin around me and I never take it unless in on a bunch of drugs and have nothing else to take cause I took all my good shit. I don't take it unless I'm fucked up enough to have no inhibition, I just don't like it. If I had that much pregabalin... I wouldn't (and dont) have any pregabalin.

And yeah, pregabs just approximately 6x stronger at the receptors. I think it's the difference of how much is in your blood, and I don't think it's the most selective drug for calcium channels, so i think you just get a lot more dirty side effects. Pregabalin takes like 150mg with no tolerance to get faded. 300 was intense for me. Gabapentin? I've taken 4.5 grams in a day and been a little silly. The bioavailability is garbage and that's a fuck ton of any single bioactive chemical.
 
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Gabapentin just feels like shit and pregabalin feels euphoric as hell. There's an abundance of gabapentin around me and I never take it unless in on a bunch of drugs and have nothing else to take cause I took all my good shit. I don't take it unless I'm fucked up enough to have no inhibition, I just don't like it. If I had that much pregabalin... I wouldn't have any pregabalin.
Gotcha, gonna do some more research on those two ;)
 
I found a compound the other day called ethyl acetoxy butanoate (EAB).

EAB is a colorless, transparent liquid with a fruity aroma. EAB is a good muscle relaxant, anesthetic and hypnotic. It is safer and more effective than traditional drugs for treating sleep disorders (such as barbiturates and γ-hydroxybutyrate). Patents such as US4,599,355 and Can.1,263,843 have described in detail the pharmacological effects of FAB and its similar compounds. It can be slowly hydrolyzed in the body to exert its efficacy, so it is safe and has a long-lasting efficacy. Large doses can have a continuous effect for more than 12 hours without poisoning. In addition, it has been found that EAB can inhibit the release of dopamine in the brain, so it is a potential drug for anti-Parkinson's disease, anti-schizophrenia and anti-psychotic.

Xiang Xiaoqing, et al. CN1047589 (1999 to Fudan University).
 
I'm actually a pretty big fan of diethyl ether. I haven't used it in ages but its a bit different from alcohol, more like a drunkish MXE or ketamine. Very echoey and can be a bit frame shifty but with a goofy bubbly feeling
 
Soma is an S-tier downer in terms of euphoric and relaxing effects. My muscles are extremely tight and tense all the time though. So maybe the feeling is extra great for me. But the downside to it is the risk of seizure, and that's when you take too high of a dose. You have to keep increasing your dose because tolerance builds instantly. I took 500mg the first day and it was the best high I've ever had in my life, then just the next day I took 1,000mg and the high was like 50% of what it was the day before. Waited a few days and it was back again. But if you take it multiple days in a row it just won't work, similarly to Z-drugs in my experience. You will get the negative effects though, like memory loss.
 
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